Many thanks to Bea

We have had many positive experiences in the six month that we have been posting your stories and photos on Cramahe Now.

Six months ago when Cramahe Now was barely a concept and only days old we got an email from long-time friend and former neighbour, Bea Mutton. She couldn't wait to express her support for the new venture. It filled a need in the community and she wanted to do all that she could to make it a fixture.

Bea has operated a business in the downtown of Colborne for many years. Early on, she sold craft, doll, and knitting merchandise. She used her extensive skills as a seamstress to sew wedding dresses. Later she took on the Sears outlet and jumped in to keep the second-hand store running. In short, she is an entrepreneur. And through all of that time she has endeavoured to do all she could to help Colborne grow and thrive.

Within days of our start, Bea asked to advertise - she was way ahead of us.

She became our first advertiser, patiently supporting us as we tried to figure out what we were doing, and how to create an ad. Those of you who know Bea, know that her business, Bzzy Bea Cleaning was itself a fledgling one-woman operation. That didn't matter. Bea valued the importance of community news and she put her hand deep into her pocket to ensure it would happen. She said in a recent email, "I think the blog is so important in keeping the community together and that I think we should all support it with advertising, articles and information, and spreading the word of the importance to people who either don't know about it or don't bother to read it. We as a community do not want to disappear."

For that unqualified support, we are deeply gratified. Bea has continued to pay to advertise, even though she has gone on to other things. Soon her ad will drop from the roster. In September we stopped accepting her kind offers each month to pay for this community project. She has done far more than her part in making Cramahe a better place to live and work.